Sculpture and decorative panels by Walter Crane

Introduction

The following introduction to Crane's sculptural work comes from pages 157-59 of
Marion Harry Spielmann's British Sculpture and Sculptors of Today (1901).

Among the leading decorators Mr.
Walter Crane must be considered as a
pioneer. He has taken to modelling, as to most
other things, out of his innate talent and spirit ot
initiative ; but, in this instance, not on a very
extensive scale. As is natural, he thinks less of
the sculpturesque than of the "line" character
of his design, which always reminds us of
his ornament and his beautiful fairy-tale illustrations. For this reason we recognise rather the
fine decorative quality of his brilliant work — for
he is emphatically a tête d'école who has most
profoundly influenced and improved the decorative
art of England — than its sculpturesque nature.
Graceful in its line and composition, inexhaustible
in its invention, harmonious in its symmetry, it
nevertheless lacks the sculptor's touch and the
strength and firmness of the trained modeller's
hand. But when he leaves the flat and the figure
in low-relief he appears at his best. The Mace he
designed for the Corporation of Manchester might
establish the reputation of any man. This work,
perfect in proportion and beautifully harmonious,
is in its general design in no degree hampered by
all the symbolism to be introduced. The imagery
will be readily appreciated. The City crest — the
globe and bees — surmounts the figure of Manchester,
enclosed within an "M" Beneath it is
the globe of the world, the field of the City's trade,
which the beaks of ships support, and their twisted
sails enclose it within their ridges. Below it are
the City and the National Arms, and lower again we
have figures personifying the sources of the City's
prosperity — the Ship Canal with its running water.
Labour, Science, Commerce, Liberty, and Justice.
The fish symbolise Manchester's ocean interests,
which are further emphasised by the ships and
the Nereids at the termination.

The Work of Walter Crane with Notes by the Artist. The Easter Art Annual for 1898: Extra Number of the “Art Journal”. London: J. S. Virtue, 1898.
Internet Archive version of a copy in the Getty Art Institute. Web. 3 January 2018.